Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Spot Shot ® Instant Carpet Stain Remover.
Muddy paws, drippy popsicles, and kids home all day, oh my! Summer definitely comes with seasonal cleaning challenges, and I'm here to help you nip them in the bud. Because bud-nipping is better than stain wrangling any day. Check out these favorite tips for keeping your home clean and kids happy, and share your personal favorites in the comments!
Popsicle drip catchers
My poor son spent years with colorful ... continue reading...

YOU GUYS! The Nordstrom Anniversary sale opens up to the public at 12PM PST on July 21st and I'm not kidding, your messages and excitement about it are making it SO FUN! This is my last post about the sale until next year, but I've gotten such a great reaction to last week's sale guide that I wanted to share a few more amazing pieces I've ordered and how I'm building my core wardrobe using items from the sale. I've heard from several inside sources that they've held back stock to release TODAY, ... continue reading...

It's the most wonderful time of the year... the Anniversary Sale! This is THE time to stock up on high-quality core wardrobe pieces from our favorite store (free shipping! free returns!) for a fraction of the retail cost, but there's a problem I hear all the time-- "this sale is so overwhelming, I don't even know where to start!" Trust me, I get it. Thanks to a very patient stylist and a ton of research ahead of time, I was able to head to Nordstrom yesterday like a shopping sniper and pick out ... continue reading...

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DrPepperPickYourPepper
Summer is my favorite. And so are cupcakes. Add in a little beach party and you have a recipe for bliss. Easy parties are also my jam, so while on a recent vacation I whipped up a beach themed soirée complete with semi-homemade Dr Pepper® cupcakes that were total crowd-pleasers. While we can't always be at the beach (WHY? WHY CAN'T I ALWAYS BE AT THE BEACH?!) I ... continue reading...

Hi there, Making Lemonade friends! My name is Jocie (pronounced jah-see), and I blog over at One Project Closer, a blog dedicated to DIY for the whole family. I'm super excited to be here to today to share with you this FREE hand lettered printable...after I share with you big news!
Carrie was sweet enough to invite me to share with you that I've launched my brand new e-course, the Busy Girl's Guide to Hand Lettering! If you love all those beautiful projects with hand lettering all over your ... continue reading...

A special someone just turned 7 years old, and his one request was a Minecraft themed birthday party. He's handled this year of transition like a champ so this was a wish I wanted to honor. However, while I love me a themed party, I just didn't have the time to go 'all out' and have our house look like Pinterest exploded all over it. With a few easy projects and DIY decorations, we whipped up a Minecraft party that everyone enjoyed with minimal effort on my part... which was much appreciated in ... continue reading...

Who is up for a tour of our new home today?! These photos are of our house when it was as new as new can be; they were quickly snapped after closing and before we moved in. You know, the newborn phase where everything is young and shiny (plus a little high maintenance and fussy), and when you're walking on cloud nine in a haze of happy exhaustion and nervous energy. I'm rewinding the past two months a bit and starting at the beginning when there was just this: a total blank slate that ... continue reading...

I almost feel guilty writing a whole post about this recipe for soft scrubbing cleaner because it is just so simple. However, simple is good when it comes to cleaning so I can't contain this secret any more, especially when the results are this impressive. There's two magic ingredients that when mixed together create the most perfect soft scrubbing solution for areas such as sinks and tubs. Anywhere you can use the retail 'soft scrubbing' product, you can use this homemade and NATURAL ... continue reading...

Looking for a fun recipe for your summer cookouts? Why not add some BLT to your pasta salad? This popular recipe is super simple to make and fun of yummy flavors. It's like a BLT in salad form with the addition of delicious pasta. Make it gluten free by using your favorite brand of GF pasta (personally, we adore Bionaturae GF pasta in our house-- my kids can't tell the difference between that and the regular kind!)
Here's a little video our team whipped up showing just how easy this is to ... continue reading...

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Spot Shot® Instant Carpet Stain Remover.
When I shared the design choices for our new home I saw your virtual eyerolls and head shakes. You couldn't hide the smirks and knowing smiles. But I did it anyways-- we chose dark hardwoods and light colored carpets. What can I say? The heart wants what it wants, and I know dirt shows up on those choices quicker than if I'd selected light hardwoods and dark tan carpets. But in the end, I'm a clean freak who doesn't ... continue reading...

Oh, the stories I could tell about our construction process! I'm still working on the post, I know I promised you the full scoop and I intend to share. However, today I'm giving you a gift born from the lessons we learned-- a FREE printable closing checklist for a new construction home. It'll be a handy tool for your walk-through to make sure you've peeked in to every nook and cranny and gotten the most for your hard-earned money when it comes to purchasing a high-quality home with as few issues ... continue reading...

As someone who is gluten-free, I'm pretty addicted to various combos of fresh salsa, guacamole, and tortilla chips. This dip (versions of which are often called 'Cowboy Caviar') combines all the best things about guac and fresh salsa into one mouth-watering gluten free recipe. A little bit of rinsing, chopping, and mixing and you have a party-worthy dish everyone will love! I used Young Living Lime essential oil in this recipe so I could skip juicing the limes plus it was a huge flavor boost. ... continue reading...

One of our absolute favorite snacks in the Making Lemonade house is popcorn because it's easy to make, healthy, and filling. While butter is our usual go-to topping, we've been mixing it up lately with several other ways to make it fancy. The hubs and I love spicy popcorn, so the Siriachia popcorn has been a big hit! My son oddly loves salt + vinegar (he's a picky eater, so it surprised us too) while my sweets loving daughter thinks the white chocolate version is the best. Whether you're craving ... continue reading...

I've lived in several rentals over the years ranging from townhouses to apartments to vacation homes, and they all have different rules about how to get your security deposit back once you vacate the space. I've learned a few tricks to ensure you get every penny back after renting, and today I've partnered with the WD-40 brand to spill the beans on how you can recoup your security deposit no matter what type of rental or how long you rent!
Now that we've handed the apartment keys back ... continue reading...

Two moves in one year plus long-term storage for half our stuff has been a whirlwind experience for us as well as our possessions. After getting rid of about 50% of what we owned back in PA thanks to the KonMari Method, I knew I didn't want to descend into a consumerism spiral once we got here to NC. But at the same time we did have needs to be filled-- everything from the brownie pan we accidentally placed in long-term storage to realizing our old house had five built-in bookcases and our new ... continue reading...

Are you as obsessed with the show Fixer Upper as we are? What I love about Joanna's style is that it's uncluttered, classic, and comfortable. When I see a Joanna Gaines room, my heart goes 'ahhhhhhhhh'. Decorating is about capturing a feeling, and her modern farmhouse style says 'welcome home.' The best part about the Fixer Upper style is it is totally attainable on a budget, as these 25 DIY farmhouse projects prove. Go ahead and choose a few to projects to complete this weekend, I'm sure Chip ... continue reading...

After a very long year of transition, we are finally HOME! Exactly one week ago, we officially moved into our new construction home, and no one is more thrilled than those two up there. Except maybe their very relieved and exhausted mama.
It came down to the wire, in more ways than one. It didn't pass final inspection until noon on closing day. Not at all stressful, right? HA!
But pass it did, and after closing we spent all our meals those first few nights on a blanket in the ... continue reading...

Whew, what a week! We FINALLY closed on our house, and after moving and unpacking for 3 days straight my muscles are sore and ready for some relief. Which is why these DIY aromatherapy rice bags really come in handy; they're an all-natural way to relieve muscle tension and provide relaxation. Simply add a few drops of your favorite essential oils depending on your needs and you'll be all "CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!" minus the Calgon from ages of yore (I'm totes dating myself here, but a child of the ... continue reading...

Hey there, welcome! I'm Carrie-- a dreamer, overthinker, + lemon squeezer, making it my mission to share fresh ideas for home and family. You'll usually find me clutching a mug of coffee, glue gun, fandeck of paint colors, and a child at any given time. Join the adventure as we learn most lemons can indeed become lemonade-- with generous amounts of sweetness, perspective, and love.